Oil-well-controlled fire extinguisher



Jane 2s, 1927.

Attbmey Cal Patented .lune 28, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

fran BnNJAMiN HAWLEY, or xEvInnoNTANA.

OIL-WELL-CONTROLLED FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Application iled September 17, 1926. Serial No. 136,151..

The present invention rela-tes to a device for automatically shuttingotl flowing oil wells which have accidentally caught on lire just afterthey'have been drilled into the product-ion.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of thisnature which is exceedingly simple in its construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, thoroughly efficient and reliable in operation, andotherwise well adapted to theV purpose tor which it is designed.

llVith the above and other objects in view,

as will appeal' as the description proceeds, the invention resides incertain novelfeatures of construction and in the combinationv andarrangement or' parts as will be hereinafter more fully Y described andclaimed.

Tn the drawing n Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus embodyingthe features of my inven tion.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the numeral. 5denotes a plate which in the present instancey is rectangular information merely'by way of preference. A lug G ext-ends from one edge otthe plate and'a smaller lug 7 extends from the same edge ot the plate in4spaced relation to the lug 6. A bell crank lever 8 is pivoted as at 9on the lug l7 and a fuse 10 isdisposed between the lugs G and 7. A latchill is pivoted vas at 12 on the plate 5 and has a link connection 14with the bell crank 8.

A spring 15 is engaged with one end ot the latch 11 and anchored as at16 on the plate 5v and normally tends to move the latch 11 to a releasedposition, the bell crank 8 and fuse 10, however. holding said latch.

11 in an engaged position.

lThe letter T denotes generallly a tool which has an intermediateportion 17 with a hexagonal opening 18 for engagement with the operatingportion of a valve. The exterior edge ot the intermediate portion 17 isrounded and guided in arcuate members )D 19 rising 'from the plate 5.Arms 20 and 21 radiate .trom the intermediate portions 17.

A reduced extension 22 is formed at the terminal ci' the arm 2O and isengaged by the latch 11 as shown in the drawing. A pair ot springs 24are anchored as at 25 to the plate 5 and have mounted at their `free butthe. latch-11 prevents this as ends, sheaves or pulleys 26. Cables 27are engaged as at 28 with the ends of the arms iand 21 and are trainedvover the sheaves 2G and are anchored as at 29. These springs normallyhave a tendency to pull the cables so as to swing the .tool T tov closethe valve, long as the fuse 10 is intact. v f

Spring buffers 30 are'mounted in keepers 31 provided on the plate 5 andthe arms 2O and 21 come into engagement therewith when -the springs 24move the tool to its valve closing position. A' cable 32 is trained overa pulley 33 Ajournaled in a kbracket 34 on the plate and is engaged withthe eX- tremity ot the arm 21 as at 35. This cable 32 is windable on adrumB mounted in any suitable manner on the plate and operable Y by acrank'37. It will`thus be seen that after the fuse 1Q has been.destroyed by fire, the spring 15 is reeto rock the latch 11 so as torelease it from engagement with` the reducedV extension 22,v so that thetool will be rotated :in a counter-clockwise direction for shutting olfthe valve because of the springs jldlhen'thevalve is thus shutoff and itis desired to yopen the valve, this may be accomplished by turning crank37 and winding the cable 32 on the drum 36,'thereby resetting the partswhenanew fuse Vis put in place.

It is thought that the construction, operation, and advantagesofmyinvention, will now be clearly understood by those skilled in this artwithout' a more detailed descrip tion thereof. The present embodiment ofthe invention `has been disclosedin detail merely by way of example,since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable in the statement of the invention and the abovedescription.

It will be quite apparent that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction, and in the combination andV arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas as hereinafter claimed, or sacrificing any oi. its advantages.v

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new is 1. A deviceof the class described including a plate, a valve shutoif tool rotatableabove the plate and adapted to operatively engage a. valve, meansassociated with said tool tending to swing it to shut O.' the valve, alatch associated with said tool for holding it in its valve openposition, means tending to release the latch from engagement with saidtool, and 'luse means for holding said latch in an engaged position withsaid tool.

2. A device of the class described including a plate, a tool movably`mounted above the plate, means associated With the tool tending todispose it in one position, a spring i'eleasable latch engageable withthe tool for normally holding it in another position, a bell crankrockably mounted on the plate, a connection between the bell crank andthe latch, and a fuse associated With the bell crank for holding saidlatch in its tool-engaging position.

3. A device ot' the class described including a plate, a tool inovablymounted above the plate, means associated with the tool tendingk todispose it in one position, a spring releasable latch engageable Wit-hthe tool for normally holding it in another position, a bellcrankrocliably mounted on the plate, a connection between the bell crankengaging position, and means on the plate for re-setting. the tool.

l. A device of the class described including a plate, a tool includingan intermediate portion tor engaging with a valve and rotatable'abovethe plate-and arms radiating from the intermediate portion, springs,pulleys on the springs, one end of the springs being anchored to theplate, cables ti'ained over the pulleys and having ends anchored to theplate and the other ends engaged With the extremities of the arms andtending to rotatey said tool and operate the valve, and fuse controlledlatch means associated with one of the arms to hold the tool ininoperative position. v

5. A device ot the classdescribed including a plate, a tool including anintermediate portion for engaging with a valve and rotatable above theplate and ai'ins radiating trom the intermediate portion, springs,pulleys on the springs, one end ol the springs being anchored to theplate, cables trained over the pulleys and having ends anchored to theplate and t-lie other ends engaged with the extremities ot the arms andtending` to rotate said tool and operate the valve, a latch pivotallymounted on the plate and engageable with one ot the arms to hold thetool in inoperative position, a spring associated with said hitchtending to dis-- engage the same from the arm, a bell crank rockable onthe plate, a` link connecting the sell crank with the latch, and fusemeans tor holding the bell crank in a position to hold the latch inengagement ivith said last mentioned arm.

6. A device of the class described including a plate, a tool includingan intermediate portion for engagng With a valve and rotatable above theplate and arms radiating` from the intermediate portion, springs,pulleys on the springs, one end of the springs being a chored to theplate, cables trained over the pulleys and having ends anchored totheplate and the other ends engaged with the extremities ot the arms andtending to rotate said tool and operate the valve, a latch pivotallymounted on the plate and engageable With one ot the arms to hold thetool in inoperative position, a spring associated with the latch tendingto disengage the same from the arm, a bell crank rockable on the plate,a link connecting the bell crank Ywith the lat-ch, tuse means forholding the bell crank in a position to hold the latch in engagementwith said last-mentioned arm, a cable engaged with the Vother arm, and adrum rotatable on the plate on Which the lastnientioned cable isWindable for moving the valve to its normal position after it has beenoperated.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

TED BENJAMIN HAVLEY.

